ADELAIDE, Australia (AP)– Top-ranked Ash Barty has fine-tuned for the very first tennis major of the season by winning her very first title on house soil with a 6-2, 7-5 triumph over No. 24- ranked Dayana Yastremska in Saturday’s Adelaide International last.
The French Open champ had actually reached finals in Australia prior to, finishing runner-up twice at the Sydney International after losses to Angelique Kerber in 2018 and Petra Kvitova in 2015.
She’s now the first Australian lady to win a tour-level title in your home because 2011.
Andrey Rublev ended up being the first male in 16 years to win two titles in the very first two weeks of the season when he beat Lloyd Harris 6-3, 6-0 in Adelaide to act on his success in Doha.
Dominik Hrbaty won the Adelaide and Auckland titles in 2004 prior to the Australian Open.
” I was not thinking about (the record) however it’s a fantastic feeling,” Russian Rublev said. “If you discuss outcomes, of course this is the best I have actually ever done.”
Barty yielded just two points on serve throughout the very first set, breaking the 19- year-old Yastremska’s serve in the third and seventh video games.
Yastremska struggled against Barty’s backhand slice, and modifications of pace and height on the ball.
Barty broke to open the 2nd set however Yastremska rallied to win the next three games, and had two break point chances in the eighth video game.
The home favorite saved both of those to level at 4-4 and then broke Yastremska’s serve in the 11 th video game and served out.
” This is amazing. Terrific start to the year,” Barty said. “I absolutely feel the love out here. I love playing in Australia. I like playing at house.
” It was great to get the ball rolling today– I can’t wait to start in Melbourne on Monday.”
Barty’s next match will be on Rod Laver Arena on the first night of the Australian Open against Lesia Tsurenko. Her run to the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park in 2015 was Barty’s finest run yet at her house championship. She followed that up by winning at Roland Garros for her very first significant title and closed the 2019 season with triumph in the WTA Finals.
Yastremska, seeded No. 23, will face Slovenian qualifier Kaja Juvan in the first round.
